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Local installation of remote software systems and methodsRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Multicomputer Data Transferring, Remote Data AccessingLocal installation of remote software systems and methods description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070174422, Local installation of remote software systems and methods. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to downloading and/or installing software. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for locally downloading and/or installing remotely-located software. [0002] As network utilization for computer users becomes more widespread, users more frequently encounter the need to obtain software (e.g., applications, data files, drivers, documents, etc.) via a network such as the Internet. Users typically obtain the software by selecting a link on a web page displayed in a web browser. Selecting the link begins a process that results in the software being downloaded to the user's computer. In some cases, the software is thereafter installed. For a number of reasons, however, this process fails to produce the most efficient and user friendly software installation. [0003] In a web browser session, installing software often takes longer than resolving a web page. Users--especially unsophisticated users--often become impatient because they think their web browser has stalled, they've lost their network connection, or the like. As a result, users may close and reopen the browser session, re-click the link they selected to initiate the software download, and/or the like. All of these actions interrupt, delay, or otherwise interfere with the software installation process. [0004] Some have attempted to address these shortcomings by having a dialog box open and display the status of the download and installation. This fails to fully address the problem, however, because the dialog box may become hidden behind other windows on the user's desktop (i.e., the browser my shift "focus" back to the web page or another window), in which case, the user no longer has information about the status of the download. [0005] For at least the foregoing reasons, improved systems and methods are needed for downloading software via a network. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] Embodiments of the invention provide a method of downloading software to a user computer via a network. The method includes, at a host computer system, receiving a request to download software to the user computer, storing at the host computer system identification information relating to the user computer, sending a download executable to the user computer, receiving status information from the download executable at the host computer system, and using the identification information to send the status information from the host computer system to the user computer for display on the user computer. [0007] In some embodiments, receiving a request to download software to the user computer includes receiving the request via a selection of a hyperlink in a web page displayed in a web browser at the user computer. The status information may be displayed on the user computer via the web page. The software may be an application, an applet, a data file, a document, and/or a driver. The identification information may be an IP address of the user computer. The identification information may include a session identifier of a web browser session on the user computer. The method also may include receiving status information from the download executable relating to installation of the software at the user computer and using the identification information to send the status information relating to installation of the software from the host computer system to the user computer for display on the user computer. [0008] In some embodiments, a method of obtaining software at a local machine from a remote machine includes, at the local machine, initiating a web browser session. A web page is running in a web browser, the browser session has associated therewith a session identifier, and the local machine has an address associated therewith. The method also includes, at the local machine, receiving a user selection on the web page to thereby initiate a software download, at the remote machine, receiving an indication of the user selection via the web page, at the remote machine, storing identification information relating to the local machine, sending an executable file from the remote machine to the local machine, at the local machine, using the executable file to initiate the software download, sending status information from the executable file at the local machine to the remote machine, using the identification information relating to the local machine stored at the remote machine to route the status information to the local machine, and displaying the status information on the web page. [0009] The identification information may include the address associated with the local machine, a web browser session identifier associated with the web browser session, and/or the like. Receiving a user selection on the web page may include a selection of a hyperlink, a command, a selection from a drop down menu, a selection of a button, and/or the like. The software may be an application, an applet, a data file, a document, driver, and/or the like. The status information may be information relating to installation of the software. [0010] In still other embodiments, a system for sending software from a remote machine to a local machine includes a processor at the remote machine, communication means for communicably coupling the remote machine to the local machine and computer-executable code. The computer-executable code programs the remote machine to receive a user-initiated request from the local machine to obtain the software, store identification information relating to the local machine, send an executable file from the remote machine to the local machine, send the software to the local machine, receive status information from the executable file, and use the stored identification information to route the status information to the local machine for display at the local machine. [0011] The communication means may be the Internet, an intranet, and/or the like. The user-initiated request may be a selection of a hyperlink, a command, a selection from a drop down menu, a selection of a button, and/or the like. The software may be an application, an applet, a data file, a document, a driver and/or the like. The status information may include information relating to installation of the software. The identification information may be the address associated with the local machine, a web browser session identifier associated with a web browser session on the local machine, and/or the like. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the several drawings to refer to similar components. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label. [0013] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system according to embodiments of the invention. [0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a method according to embodiments of the invention, which method may be implemented in the system of FIG. 1. [0015] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary web browser window that may be displayed on, for example, the user computing device of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0016] According to embodiments of the invention, a user is able to download, and in some embodiments install, software received from a remote machine without shifting "focus" from a web page containing a link the user selected to initiate the download. Further, the user is able to monitor the status of the download (and install) from the same page. This prevents the user from re-selecting the link, thereby initiating a second instance of the software download and/or terminating the present download among other things. [0017] Method embodiments according to the present invention include storing address information relating to the user machine at a remote machine associated with the software being downloaded. An applet (e.g., executable file) is first downloaded to the user machine. The applet is embedded in the web page and monitors and controls the downloading of the software and reports status back to the remote machine. The remote machine forwards the status back to the user machine for display as part of the web page from which the user initiated the download. [0018] The software may be an of a variety of electronic files including executable files, data files, drivers, documents, and/or the like. In addition to initiating the download by selecting a hyperlink, the user may initiate the download by making a selection from a dropdown menu, selecting a button, entering a command, and/or the like. In any case, the "focus" of the web browser may be maintained on the web page or the browser window from which the download was initiated. In some embodiments, focus may be shifted to a different web page in the same browser for displaying the status information. [0019] Having described embodiments of the invention generally, attention is directed to FIG. 1, which illustrates an exemplary system 100 according to embodiments of the invention in which system method embodiments of the invention may be deployed. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the system 100 is merely exemplary of a myriad of possible embodiments according to the invention. The system 100 includes a host computer system 102 (i.e., "remote" computer or machine) and a network 104 through which a user computer 106 (i.e., "local" computer or machine) and the host computer system 102 communicate. The host computer system 102, in this embodiment, includes a web server 108 and a data storage arrangement 110, although other embodiments of the host computer system 102 may include more, fewer, or different components than those illustrated and described herein. Further, the components of the host computer system 102 may all be located in the same geographic area--even being comprised by the same machine--or distributed geographically. [0020] The web server 108 may be any of a variety of computing devices. It hosts web pages that are sent to user computers upon request as is known in the art. The data storage arrangement 110 may be any of a variety of data storage devices. It stores information relating to user web browser sessions and/or software available for download by users. Continue reading about Local installation of remote software systems and methods... 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